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Karur stampede case: CBI summons actor-politician Vijay for questioning
The case stems from the stampede that occurred during Vijay's rally in Tamil Nadu's Karur on September 27, resulting in 41 deaths, and at least 60 were injured.
CBI has issued a notice to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay to appear for questioning in the Karur stampede case on Monday, January 12, PTI reported, quoting officials.
The case stems from the stampede that occurred during Vijay's rally in Tamil Nadu's Karur on September 27, resulting in the death of 41 people, while at least 60 others were injured. The incident occurred as a crowd of nearly 30,000 people gathered at a venue with a capacity of approximately 10,000 for the rally.
It is alleged that the security guidelines were violated at the rally venue, and proper arrangements for food and drinking water were missing, which contributed to the tragedy.
The CBI took over the probe into the case on October 26 from an SIT, following a Supreme Court order, and has been gathering evidence related to the stampede. The agency has questioned several office bearers of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam in connection with the case, they said.
The agency has now decided to contact Vijay in connection with the case, following which it may decide on filing a charge sheet in the matter, the officials quoted in the PTI report said.
Vijay's outreach affected
Vijay's political outbursts at the DMK and BJP made both parties take note of his presence, apprehending that he may turn out to be a dark horse in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls.
His political outreach through his fledgling party hit a roadblock due to the Karur stampede during a rally he addressed in September.
The Madras high court had, in December, directed the Tamil Nadu government to notify before January 5, 2026, an SOP to regulate public meetings and road shows.
The government was directed by the HC to take a decision on the views of political parties in this regard and notify the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). The first bench, comprising Chief Justice M.M. Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan, gave the directive while disposing of petitions filed by Vijay-led TVK and three others.
